Camera.



L. HOLLAND-LETZ.

CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1910 Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

& a e s m4 in a p 8 t OW L. HOLLAND-LETZ.

CAMERA.

APPLIGATIO'N FILED MAR.7,1910.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

3 SHEETS SHEET 2.

L. HOLLAND-LETZ.

CAMERA.

. APPLICATION FILED MARI-1910.

Patented Sept. 1, 191i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUDXVIG I-IOLLAND-LETZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN HOWARD MOELROY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAMERA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, LUDWIG HOLLAND- Ln'rz, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cameras, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to cameras, and is designed to provide new and improved constructions whereby they can be readily and accurately focused, and also whereby the time of exposure can be regulated to a nicety.

Inorder to teach those skilled in the art how to carry out my invention in its preferred form, I have herein illustrated inthe drawings and will describe one specific device in which my invention may be embodied, leaving the statement of the scope of the invention to the generic claims, by which it is defined.

To illustrate my invention, I annex hereto three sheets of drawings, in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts on all the figures, of which,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a camera embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of one corner of the same; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the complete camera; Fig. 1 is a central, sectional view of the rear part of the camera, taken on the line A-A of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line BB of Fig. 4 on the interior of the casing proper, but on the line BB of Fig. 6, on the exterior; Fig. 6 is a, detail in elevation, partly broken awa of the exposure setting or adjusting mec anism; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on they line (3-0 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a similar .view on the line D-.D of Fig. 5; Fig. 9 is a detail in section on the line E-E ofFig. 3; Fig. 10 is a detail in section on the line F-F of Fig. 1.

Thecamera box comprises the back piece 5, the top 6, bottom 7, side walls 8 and 9,. and the lens bed 10, which forms the front of the box when in a closed or folded condition. The bed 10 is pivoted to the bottom 7 at 11, and is provided with side braces 12,l which are pivoted thereto at 13, each ofi which braces is provided with the elongated} slot 14, through which extend pins 15 se-; cured to the sides 8 and 9 in such a manner,

the spring as to limit the downward movement of the bed 10 about its pivot 11 to a position substantlally at right angles to the back 5. The upper ends of the slots 14 terminate in short lateral slots with which the pins 15 engage automatically when the bed 10 is pulled down into unfolded or open position to lock said bed against movement about its hinge 11, the automatic action being secured by reason of the small leaf springs 16 secured to the braces 12 and bearing against the pins 15.

The back 5 may be provided with any suitable plate-holding or film-carrying device. I have illustrated a rectangular frame 17 carrying the customary ground glass 18, which normally closes the opening 19 provided in the back 5. The frame 17 is mounted on leaf springs 20, which are secured to the back 5 1n such a manner that a plate holder 21 can be slid under the frame 17 and securely held in place by the same. To guide and hold the frame 17 and late holder 21 in their proper position, .a ange 22 is provided around three sides of the opening 19, the fourth side having no flange, and that side of the frame 17 is preferably extended out into a beveled edge, as seen at 23 in Fig. 2. When the late holder 21 is pushed into position in t e back of the camera, it occupies the same space which had been occupied-by the frame 17. The ground glass 18 in the frame 17 may be protected by a suitable cover 24: pivoted to the frame 17.

Upon the bed 10 are provided suitable ways or guide rails 25 (see Fig. 3), between which the extension bed-plate 26 is mounted to slide, said bed plate 26 being provided with inwardly opposed grooves 27 adapted to receive the ends of the spring plate 28' secured by the screw bolt 29 to the lenshead frame. The spring plate 28' normally presses the lens-head frarneguide-plate 28 against the extension bed-plate 26 to prevent the former from movlng, but when it is desired to move the lens-head base-frame are secured to rock shafts having flattened the swinging of the levers causes plate28 torelease the pressure on the guide plate 28. The ways 25 extend portions,

faces and their opposing grooves33 in exact alinement with those of the extension bedplate 26 in such manner that the lens-head frame can be moved into the box with the lens-head frame guide-plate engaging said guide blocks. The extension bed-plate 26 is arranged to bemevedlongitudinally on the ways 25 by turning the knurled disk 34 secured to the shaft 35 suitably journaled on the'under side of the bed 10 and having secured to the inner end thereof the spur gear wheel 36 which meshes with the rack 37 provided on the under side of the center of the extension bed-plate 26 and extending its entire length.

Rigidly secured to the lens-head frame base 30 are the two upright, round posts 38,- whioh have their opposing sides provided with vertical slots 38 =into which are snugly fitted the two vertical edges of a square plate 39, which is provided with a central, circular aperture through which extends the lens-tube 40 carrying the lens 41. The plate 39 is capable of being adjusted up and down by sliding in the posts. 38, and can ,be adjusted to either side by sliding the lens-head frame base 30 to either side, which is made possible by. providing a slot in the frame 30 for the bolt 29 to pass throu h. By slightly loosening the nut 42 on t e bolt 29, the

frame 30 can be slid to either side, and then secured in place by tightening the nut 42.

A. suitable frame 43 (see Fig. 4) is provided in the camera box, secured. to the top 6, sides 8 and 9, and bottom 7, and is connected by the usual bellows 44 with the lens-carrying plate 39. The bellows 44, at,

a point just in front of the top'6, is provided with a sight aperture having a cloth extension or hood 46 the outer extremity of which is formed to fit snugly to a persons face about the eyes. The operator, by adjusting the hood 46., which is made of stifi' enough material to stand erect, to the e es, can see the surface within the camera ox upon which the view from the lens 41 will be reflected, and by turning the hand wheel 34, can properly focus the picture, as clearly seen in Figs. land 4. If desired, the cover 24 back of the ground glass 18 can be opened, and the operator can look on the ground glass from the rear to adjust the lens to the proper focusing'point, but since this particular camera is provided with a curtain or'focal-plane shutter, the focusing as will in most cases be done on the curtain Lioness within the box by the use of the hood 46 and sight aperture 45.

The sight aperture 45 is always open when the camera is set for taking an exposure, but a door or cover plate 47 closes said aperture 45 automatically by the movement of the trip lever 48 (see Fig. 3), which releases the exposing mechanism. The plate 47 is pivotally mounted, preferably by being secured to arock shaft 49 pivoted at its ends in the sides 8 and 9, just below the sheetmetal flange 50 secured to the top rail of the frame 43, and has one edge of the cloth curtains 51 secured to its ends, said ourtains spanning the spacebetween said ends of the plate 47 and the sight aperture 45, to which the adjacent sides of said curtains are secured. The curtains 51 are of somewhat stiff material, and are arranged to fold inwardly on a central line, as indicated by the;

dotted line 52 in Fig. 4, which fold divides the curtains into two equal triangles whose free edges 53 are preferably of such length as to equal the distance across the aperture 45 from side to side of the camera when the two curtains are placed end to end, so that when the plate 47 is closed against the lower horizontal edge of the aperture 45, at which edge a straight wire 54 is preferably located in the cloth, the edges 53 of the curtains 51 will be folded and laterally close the possible slit between the free edge of the plate 47 and the edge adjacent the wire 54. To hold the wire at the edge of the aperture '45 yieldingly in the position shown in Fig. 4, I provide, the leaf springs 53, secured, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to the sides 8 and'9, and normally holding the wire in- -the position shown, but capable of being bent back into the box when it is closed up.

llnside of the camera box close to the back 5, is a curtain 55 adapted to entirely close the opening 56 in front of the plate holder 21, and having its lower end secured to the roller 57 and its upper end-secured to two tapes 58 wound about the disks 59 rigidly secured on the shaft 60 near the sides 8 and 9, which shaft has its hearings in said sides, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5. one end of the shaft 60 extends some distance outside of the side 8, where it has rigidly secured thereto a small spur-gear pinion .61 meshing with a large spur-gear wheel 62 journaled indirectly on the stub shaft 63 secured in the side 8, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 7. Between the gear wheel 62 and the side 8, and j ournaled on the stub shaft 63, is a gear wheel 64, preferably of the same size as the gear wheel 62, and preferably having an elongated hub upon which the wheel 62 is directly journaled. The wheel 64 is'in constant mesh with a small gear pinion 65, preferably the same size as the pinion 61, and said pinion 65 is rigidly securedto the shaft 66, which has its hearings in the sides 8 and 9. A long roller 67 is secured on the shaft 66, on which roller is secured the upper end of a curtain 68, whose lower end is secured to two cords 69 adjacent the sides 8 and 9, which cords pass downward around the idlers loosely journaled on the reduced ends of the roller 57, and thence upward to pulleys 67 rigidly secured to the ends of the roller 67, to which pulleys their ends are secured. Thus the curtain 68 and the-cords 69 are so arranged about the roller 67 and idlers 70 that when the roller 67, as seen in Fig. 4, is turned on its axis anticlockwise, the lower end of the curtain 68 will positively move downward, and when the roller 67 is turned clockwise, said curtain 68 will move upward and be wound on the roller 67. It will be noted that the curtain 68, which is up away from in front of the plate holder 21 when the camera is set for an exposure, is between the back 5 and the curtain 55, which occupies the position in front of the plate holder 21, but these curtains may in some cases have their positions interchanged.

The curtain 55 has been described as secured to the roller 57, which is located just above the bottom 7, and the roller 57 is loosely mounted on a shaft 71 having its bearings in the sides 8 and 9, with one end extending outside of the side 8, to which end is secured a knurled disk 72, by means of which the shaft 71 can be turned. A springpressed pawl 73 is provided, co6perating with a ratchet 73 on the shaft 71 on the outside of the side 8, whereby the shaft 71 can be retained at any desired position in its rotation, and an indicator 7 1 is provided at the end of the shaft 71 on the outside of the side 9 to show the number of turns the shaft 71 has been given. The roller 57 is made hollowto furnish suflicient room for the coiled torsion spring 75 arranged about the shaft 71 and having one of its ends secured to the roller 57 at 76, and its other end secured to the shaft 71 at 77. The spring 75 is so arranged that when it is wound up or put under tension by the turning of the shaft? 1, it will tend to'pull the curtain 55 downward and wind it upon itself. Obviously, the greater the tension is on the spring 75, as shown by the indicator 7%, the more rapidly will the curtain 55 be draw down when released, and thus the time of the exposure varied when it is followed by. the curtain 68.

It will be seen by examining Figs. 4, 5, 7

and 8 that, if the gear wheels 62 and 6 1 were fastened to rotate together in unison and were free to rotate and the spring roller57 were turned anti-clockwise, the curtains 55 and 68 would move downward in unison and at a speed to correspond with the winding up of the curtain 55 on the spring roller 57, and

'bed 10 to within a the direction of rotation of the parts, as seen in Figs. 4, 7 and 8, would be as follows: The disks 59, shaft 60 and pinion 61 rotate anti-clockwise; the gear wheels 62 and 6 1 rotate clockwise; the pinion 65, shaft 66 and roller 67 rotate anti-clockwise.

To expose the plate in the plate holder 21, it is necessary to have the curtain 55 moved down some distance before the curtain 68 starts to move downward; and to vary the relative time ofv starting the downward movement of these two curtains, I provide suitable mechanism between the two gear wheels 62 and 64.

To set the curtains for an exposure, the wheel 62 is turned, by means of the cupshaped setting disk 78, anti-clockwise until stopped by the pin 79 on the wheel 62 coming in contact with and rocking the crank arm80v of the rock shaft 19 to its limit, 2. 6., until the plate 47 is completely open and resting against the sheet-metal partition 81, as seen in Figs. 8 and d, a spring-pressed pawl 82 being provided to engage the teeth of wheel 62 and retain said wheel in its wound-up or set position. It will be noted that as the gear wheel 62 is being rotated anti-clockwise, the pinion 61, shaft 60 and disks 59 will be rotated clockwise, and the tapes 58 will be wound up upon the disks 59, thus moving the curtain 55 upward.

The pawl 82 is rigidly secured on a short rock shaft 83 extending through a bearing sleeve 84 and the side 8 to a short distance inside said side, where a crank arm 85 is rigidly secured thereto. To the free end of the crank arm 85 is pivotally connected the upper end of a connecting rod 86, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, whose lower end is bent in a hook shape and has its extremity pivotally connected to the free end of the crank arm 87, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, which is rigidly secured to the square shaft 88 provided with a long journal 89 inthe bearing 90 secured to the bottom 7. As seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the rod 86 is pro vided with a shoulder or fixed washer 91, and a helically-coiled expanding-spring 92 arranged around the rod 86 is interposed between said'washer 91 and a fixed bracket 93 secured to the side 8, to normally press the rod 86 upward and the pawl 82 into engagement with the gear wheel 62. The square shaft 88 has pivoted to its front end at 94: a square bar 95, which, at the point 96 and throughout the rest of its length,-is reduced in cross section so that when a square tube 97 is telescoped over the reduced portion of said rod, the outer surface of said'square tube, the larger part of said bar and the square shaft 88 will all be "flush, forming one continuous square track extending forward above and parallel to the short distance of the free end thereof.- The purpose of the hinge 94 in the shaft 88 is, of course, to permit the folding up of the rod 95 into the camera box when the bed 10 is folded up about its hinge 11 to close the box.

As seen in Fig. 1, the forward end of the square tube 97 extends loosely through a sleeve 98 which is'mounted to rotate in the bearing 99, and is provided adjacent one end of said bearing 99 with an upwardly extending arm 100 and with a flange 101 adjacent the other end of said bearing 99, which arm and flange prevent the sleeve 98 from sliding out of the bearing 99, which bearing is integral with the lens-head frame base 30 carrying the lens 41. Thus, it is apparent that while the lens 41 is moved toward and away from the plate holder 21, the sleeve 98 will slide on the tube 97. When the camera is set' for an exposure, thearm 100 is turned up anti-clockwise, as seen in Fig. 3, against the tension of the spring 102, and is retained in such upturned position by the extension 103 on the frame 104, which is pivoted at 105 to the plate 39. The plate 104 is of circular form and acts as a lever, to which the lens tube 40 is connected by means of the plate 106 and studs 107. The plate 106 has the tube 40 rigidly secured therein b screw threads, and the studs 107 are rigidl secured to the plate 106 in such position that by extending straight forward through holes provided therefor in the plate 39, they can-be and are pivotallyconnected to the frame 104 at 108 about midway the pivot 105 and extension 103. The lens tube 40 is arranged to slide forward and backward a short distance, being guided at the forward end by the tube snugly fitting through the aperture in the plate 39, and guided at the rear end by the plate106 being fitted to slide in a suitable casing 1.09 extending rearwardly from the plate 39, to which it is secured. Thus, it will be understood that as the lens tube 40 moves forward and back the frame 104 will move about its pivot 105 away from and toward the plate 39. Springs 110 are interposed between theplate 106 and the plate 39 about the pins 107, which constantly tend to press the plate 106 back away from the plate 39, and the trip lever 48 is provided to engage the extension 111 on the frame 104 and retain the plate 106 in its forward position against the tension of the springs 110, as seen in Fig. 1. The lever 48 is pivoted at 112 to the plate 39, and when the said lever is moved by hand against the tension of spring 113 to release its short end from engagement with the extension 111, the spring 110 will force the lens tube 40 rearwardly until the plate 106 contacts with its stop, which stop is formed by the inwardly turned edges 114 of the casing 109. This rearward movement of the lens is to cause it to focus correctly on the sensitized surface at the time of exposure, although it was originally focused.

1 innate distance the lens is moved rearwardly. To

set the lens again for focusing, all that is necessary is to swing the trip lever 48 out of the path. of the lug 111 as the lens is pulled forward by swinging the'frame 104, and then allow it to reengage said 111g.

From the description given, it will be seen that if after the camera is set for an exposure, which is the position shown in the drawings, the long end of the trip lever 48 is depressed, the short end of the lever 48 will move away from under the extension 111, the frame 104 and the lens tube 40 will move backward, the arm 100 will swing about its pivot clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3, the square shaft 88 will be rotated clockwise with the arm 100, the connecting rod 86 will be moved downward against the tension of the spring 92, the pawl 82 Will be disengaged from the gear wheel 62, the pinions 61 and 65 and the gear wheels 62 and 64 will be rotated by the action of the spring 7 5 in the roller 57, and the curtains 55 and 68 will move downward and be stopped in their downward movement by the engaging end of the pawl 115 (which is pivoted at 116 to the gear wheel 64) contacting with the stop 117 formed'on the inner wall of the casing 118 which incloses the gearing, as seen in Fig. 8. By reference to Figs. 7 and 8, it willbe seen that the pawl 115'has a rearwardly extending tail piece to which one end of a spring 119 is connected, the-other end of said spring being connected to a suitable fastening 120 on the gear wheel 64 in such manner as to yieldingly hold the engaging end of the pawl 115 in the path of the stop 117 as the gear Wheel 64 rotates. A pin 121 extends laterally from the tail end of the pawl- 115 into the arc-shaped slot 122 provided in the gear wheel 62, which pin serves as a part'of the operative connection between the gear wheels 62 and 64. The slot 122 is concentric to the axis of both gear wheels 62 and 64, and as the wheel 62 is rota-ted, the wheel 64 will also be rotated by reason of the pin 121 contacting with the end of the slot 122.

When the gear wheel 62 is turned anticlockwise, as seen in Fig. 7, the pin 121 will contact With the right-hand end of slot 122, and when said gear wheel 62 is turne clockwise, the pin 121 will tend to contact with the left-hand end of the slot 122, but for the purpose of adjusting the amount of lost motion between the two gear wheels 2 and 64 (and thus regulating the distance between the two curtains), a pin 123 extends laterally into the slot 122 from the base of the setting disk 78, rotatably mounted on the hub of the gear Wheel 62 and adjustably I loclred to said wheel 62 by the pin 124 pro ecting therefrom engaging one of the adjusting disk 78.

till

other direction is caused held against the gear wheel 62 by means of;

a coiled expanding spring 126 interposed between said disk 78 and the washer or disk 127 secured to the outer end of the hub of the gear wheel 62, as seen in Fig. 5, so that the disk 7 8 is free to be pulled out of engagement with the pin 124 against the tension of the spring 126. Thus, it is clear that the pin 123 can be placed in any desired position in the slot 122 by manipulating the As seen in Fig. 7 it will be noted that the left-hand end of the slot 122 is made narrower for a distance long enough to receive both the pins 123 and 121, while the remainder of said slot 122 is made wide enough to permit the pawl 115 to be turned on its pivot 116 so as to have its enga ing end pass out of the path of the detent ever 128 pivoted at 129, The pin 123 is so beveled that when it contacts with the pin 121, it will turn the pawl 115 on its pivot 116 to have its engaging end gass out of the path of the detent lever 12 but when said pin 123 is in the narrow, extreme left-hand end of the slot 122, the pin 121 contacting with the narrow part of the slot 122 prevents the pawl 115 from moving about its pivot, and, obviously, as the gear wheel 6 1 carrying the pawl 115 is forced around clockwise, the pawl 115 will swing the detent lever 128. The movement of the detent lever 128 about its ivot 129 in'the y the action of the helically coiled contractile spring 130 secured thereto and to the casin and the rate of its movement is control ed by the dash pot 131. I

When the indicating mark 132 on the disk 78 is set to register with the character t on the disk 127, as seen in Fig. 6, the pin 123 is so positioned in the slot 122 as tocause a one-eighth inch open space between the two curtains 55 and 68, as said curtains are moved downward by the. mechanism described; similarly, when the indicating mark 132 is set to-registcr with the character 2 on the disk 12?,- a two-inch opening will he presented between the curtains 55 and 68 while they move down past the sens tive plate; and when the indicating mark 132 is set to register with the word full on the,

3 disk 12'? the curtain 55 will move down to expose th e complete sensitive plate before the curtain 68 starts to move down to cover the sensitive plate, and the timeintervening between the instant that the curtain 55 is entirely removed from in front oithe sensi tive plate and the instant that the curtain 68 starts to cover said sensitive plate is controlled by the dash pot 131 acting: onthe detent lever 128. Therefore, if the detent to lever 128 is partly moved about its pivot 129 anti-clockwise before the pawl 115 engages it, the time of complete exposure of the sensitive plate will be lessened; and to move the detent 128 anti-clockwise about its pivot, 1 provide a small hand lever 133 piv oted at 13 1, arranged to engage a curved camsurface on the detent lever 128. The lever 133 is also employed to lock the lever 128 against movement anti-clockwise about its pivot (as in the position shown in Figs. 5 to 8, where it engages the straight surface just beyond the curved cam surface) when the indicating mark 132 is set to any point except the full mark on the disk 127, as seen in Fig. 6. Indication marks are provided at 135 arranged in arcs with which the free end of the hand lever 133 is arranged to register for the purpose of setting the apparatus for various exposures, 2'. 6., shorter or longer instantaneous exposures, short time exposures and long time exposures.

' The fittings of the joint 9 1 of shaft 95 and of sleeve 99 on the member 97 are sufliciently loose to permit of the shifting of the lens-carrying frame to either side the required distance without causing any binding of the parts.

1 rom the foregoing description, it will be understood that the tension on the spring 75, as shown on the indicator 74, determines the rapidity of the downward movement of the curtains and 68, and the position of the adjusting disk 78 relative to the gear, wheel 62, as indicated by the position of the notch 132 relativeto the marked disk 12?, determines the size of the opening between the curtains 55 and 68,'through which the exposure is made- Thus, it the hurled disk 72 is turned. to wind up the spring hntil the indicator '74: shows the predetermined tension of 4:, and the hand iever is removed, to register with the time or lit indication mark, while the mark 132 s set to register with the character 5,

give a inch exposure aperture between v 1e curtains 55 and 68 at a 4 tension; obviously, a 5} inch exposure aperture be tween the curtains at an 8 tension would ive substantially the same result. And it he spring 75 is, set at a 4: tension, and the an lever 133 is set to register with the character 13111 the tension 4 column, while the notch 132' is set to register with the full mark. on the disk 127, the device will be set to we a time exposure of one econd; obvious y, the same exposure could inc attained by setting the spring 75 at a 8 tension and setting the hand lever 133 i spring 7 5 may be set atany tension and the hand lever 133 is set to register wlththe time or slit mark, while the notch 132 is set to register with the full mark, and the operation of the trip lever 48 Wlll in such event cause the curtain 55 alone to move down and leave a full exposure opening, and thehandlever 133 mustbe moved by hand about its pivot clockwise a sufficient distance topermit the detent 128 to move out of the path of the pawl 1l5-to permit the curtain 68 to move down and close the exposure opening. I

While I prefer touse the curtain 55 to focus upon, in which case the shiftable lens and the hood are essential, yet I may omit this function and use it without one or both of the aforesaid essential features, as. a novel and valuable means of regulating time exposures and preventing .the fogging of plates or films in case the camera should he accidentally reset with the lens cap 'ofi or a sight aperture open, inasmuch as the two curtains are returned without any aperture between them, whereas a single curtain with one or more apertures cannot'loe returned without exposing the sensitized surface it it is otherwise unprotected, say, from an uncovered lens.

While I have shown and described my invention as embodied in the form which l at present consider best adaptedto carry out its purposes, it willbe understood that it is capable of modifications, and that I do not desire to be limited in theinterpretation of the following claims except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art. What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: 1. In a camera, the combination with a shallow box, of means for holding a sensitized surface in a certain plane, a lens, a focusing surface, means for focusing the lens upon said focusing surface, a hood 10 cated at the top and front of the box and surrounding an aperture through which the focusing surface may be seen, the plane of the aperture being inclined to the plane of said surface, and a plate adapted to close said aperture pivoted at the u per edge thereof and swinging always su stantially above the top of the sensitized late. 2. In a camera, the combination with a shallow box, of means for holding the sensitized surface in a certain plane, a lens, a focusing surface, means for focusing the lens upon said focusing surface, a hood located at the top and front of the box and surrounding an aperture through which the focusing surface may be seen, the plane of the aperture bein inclined to the plane of said surface, a p ate adapted to close said aperture pivoted at the upper edge thereof and swinging always substantially above the top of the sensitized plate, and means icence front of the box' and surrounding an aperture through which the focusing surface may be seen, a swinging plate pivoted at one edge of the aperture to opengand close the same, and curtains connecting the two edges of the plate adjacent the pivoted edge to the adjacent edges of the aperture.

4. In a camera, the, combination with a box, of'means for holding a sensitized sur-- facein a certain plane, a lens, a focusing surface, means for focusing the lens upon the focusing surface, a hood located at the front of the box and surrounding an a erture through which the focusing sur ace may be seen, a swinging plate pivoted at one edge of the aperture to open and close the same, and rectangular curtains connect the two edges of the plate adjacent the pivoted edge to the adjacent edges of the aperture.

5. lln a camera, the combination with means for holding a sensitized surface in a certain plane, of a lens, a movable exposing curtain between the lens and said plane, a covering curtain, automatic means for first moving the exposing curtain and then the covering curtain, mechanism. for regulating the interval of time between the movements of the two curtains to regulate the time of exposure, means for regulating the distance between the rear edge of the exposing curtain and the forward edge of the covering curtain as they, move transversely to the sensitized surface, and means for regulating the s eed of the movement of said curtains,

6. n a camera, the combination with a box, of means for holding a sensitized surface in a certain plane within said box, a lens, a movable focusing surface between the lens andsaid plane, means for focusing the lens upon the movable focusing surface, a

hood located at the top and in front of the box and surrounding an aperture through which the focusing surface may be seen, a plate adapted to close said aperture, and

means for automatically moving the plate to close the aperture, removing the focusing surface, causing a relative movement of the lens and sensitized surface to focus the lens upon the latter, and then exposing the sensitized surface.

7. lln a' camera, the combination with a box, of means for holding a sensitized surface in a. certain plane within said box, a lens, a movalole focusing surface between the lens and said plane, means for focusing the lens upon the movable focusing surface, a

hood located at the top and in front of the boX and surrounding an aperture through which the focusing surface may be seen, a plate adapted to close said aperture, and means for automatically moving the plate to close the aperture, removing the focusing surface, shifting the lens so as to focus it upon the plane of said sensitized surface, and then exposing the sensitized surface.

8. In a camera, the combination with means for holding a sensitized surface in a certain plane, of a lens, a movable focusing curtain between the lens and said plane, means for focusing the lens upon the curtain,'a covering curtain, and means for automatically shifting the lens so as to focus it upon the plane of the sensitized surface, removing the focusing curtain, and then mov ing the covering'curtain.

9. In a camera, the combination with a box, of means for holding a sensitized sur face in. a certain plane therein, a lens, movable focusing curtain between the lens and said plane, means for focusing the lens upon the movable surface, a hood located at the top and front of the box and surrounding an aperture through which the focusing curtain may be seen, a plate adapted to close said aperture, a covering curtain, and automatic means for moving the plate to close the ap erture, removing the exposing curtain, and moving the covering curtain.

10. in a camera, the combination with a box, of means for holding a sensitized surface in a certain plane therein, a lens, a movable focusing curtain between the lens and said plane, means for focusing the lens upon the focusing curtain, a hood located at the top and front of the box and surrounding an aperture through which the focusing curtain maybe seen, a plate adapted to close said aperture, a covering curtain, and automatic means for moving the plate to close the aperture, automatically shifting the lens so as to focus it upon the plane 6f the sensitized surface, removing the focusing curtain, and moving the covering curtain.

11. In a camera, the combination with a. swinging plate held in one direction by a spring, of an exposing curtain, a member the rotation of which controls the movement of said curtain, an arm associated with said plate, a spring tending to move it'in one direction, and a pin on said member cooperating Wltll said arm to hold the plate against the resistance of the spring until said member starts to move to make the exposure.

In Witness whereof, if have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this 25th day of February, A. D. 1910;

LUDWIG EOLLANB-LETZ [L. 8.]

Witnesses:

J 01in HOWARD MoELRoY,

F. E. BRoM. 

